. >>> president obama pushesard on gun control and immigration reform, plus the passing of 'american icon and one of the biggest adrenaline rushes anywhere. "early today" right now. >> announcer: this is "early today" for thursday, january 31st, 2013. >>> and a very good morning for you, i'm richard lui in for mara schiavocampo. we start with a hostage standoff in alabama involving a 5-year-old and a suspected killer. a police investigation identifies him as 65-year-old jimmy lee dykes. the two are holed up in an underground bunker or tornado shelter. police are able to get medicine to the young boy. but officials aren't saying much about communications. they're communicating through a pvc pipe. the gunman bored the school bus in midland city. and then killed the bus driver and took the young hostage. >>> a ferocious storm system raked its way through the country. it's making its way north. at least two people have lost their lives in georgia and tennessee. many have lost their homes and tens of thousands were left without power. nbc's kurt gregory has more. >> reporter: wicked winds